Obama's 'Check, Please!' finally will be served

Years ago, before Obama was Obama, the up-and-coming State Senator appeared on an up-and-coming public TV show, WTTW's "Check, Please!" As the story goes, if I remember correctly, Obama was so erudite and eloquent that ... well, it didn't make for the best episode, so it was shelved and never aired.

Now, of course, everything Obama is in play ...

To celebrate a milestone for the show, the Obama episode is off the shelf and will be broadcast as the 100th episode of "Check, Please!" The show, originally taped in 2001, will air Jan. 16 on WTTW.